The Charity Commission has launched an investigation into a leading Islamic school after police arrested two members of staff and seized weapons on the school site.
The watchdog received a serious incident report following a raid by armed police at the independent Darul Uloom London school in Bromley in May.
The Metropolitan Police were called to the school shortly after 5pm on May 30 following reports that a man was believed to have been seen with a firearm.
Yusef Musa, 25, of Carlton Road, Manor Park, was arrested. He has since been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and will appear in court on Thursday.
A second man, aged 65, was subsequently arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation and released under investigation.
The Department for Education took the school to court last month in an attempt to close it down after the incident, but this was dropped after the government reached a “settlement” with the school following leadership changes.
Now the Charity Commission will investigate the school over concerns about “potential misconduct and mismanagement”.
The watchdog said its investigation was prompted by the arrest of a teacher at the school who was also a trustee and designated safeguarding lead, and the school’s headteacher.
Weapons and cash held on the school site were also seized, the Charity Commission said.
Both men were later dismissed from the boys’ school, which charges fees of £3,000 a year.
The investigation will also look at the financial management of the school, whether conflicts of interest were properly identified and managed by trustees, and the “conduct of the arrested individuals”.
An Ofsted inspection in February found the school did not meet all of the independent school standards or the national minimum standards for boarding provision.
It followed an earlier inspection, in May 2017, which found that safeguarding at the school was “inadequate”. Senior leaders failed to follow procedures and did not contact the local authority or the Disclosure and Barring Service after a “serious child protection allegation”, inspectors found.
Although the school has since implemented an action plan to improve safeguarding, inspectors noted that “there remains a worrying inconsistency in how leaders tackle potential safeguarding concerns, including allegations about members of staff”.
“There are flaws involving the fitness for purpose of the safeguarding policy, risk assessment and safeguarding procedures, in part relating to conflicts of interest. Leaders in key safeguarding positions continue to lack a full appreciation of how to keep pupils safe. Current arrangements are not effective in safeguarding pupils and promoting their welfare.”
Your thoughts